Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Where Does A Year Go?

Hello there,

My oh my... where does a year go?

I can hardly believe it's been a year since my last post, how is this possible? Where have I been and what have I been doing? Well, quite a lot actually. A few days after my last post, I turned 40 years old young, and boy, what a year it's been. Forty seemed to be a magical number, a big number, and big changes.

A couple of months after my birthday, I started the ball rolling for the next big change in my life, hysterectomy which I had two weeks before Christmas 2014. Although everything is fine now and I'm quite recovered, the surgery didn't go as planned. I had hoped for the minimally invasive, robotic, partial hysterectomy that would allow me to keep my ovaries, and have me back on my feet in a couple of days, but I ended up having a total hysterectomy and being off of work and recovering for 8 weeks. Forty may seem young for this, but my cycles, which have always been unpredictable in arrival, strength and length were getting worse and worse. It was time. As it turns out I had stage IV endometriosis, the worst my doctor had ever seen. I have pictures! Believe me, you don't want to see them. Abdominal surgery... not for sissies.

One week after my surgery, a very good thing happened, we closed escrow on our very own little cabin in the woods! It's old, it's small, everything needs to be replaced and I could not love it more. We scrimped and saved and worked at buying our cabin, mostly in secret, for months & months. T'was was a test of patience to be sure! We've spent nearly every weekend there since I was able to be up and walk around. A place to run away, to disconnect (and boy have I!) and reconnect. It is wonderful and I hope to share more about it soon. So many projects!

When I returned to work from my surgery I knew I needed to make some physical changes so that I could better enjoy our time in the mountains. I've always been drawn to nature but boy, I was I out of shape and surgery sure didn't help. Hiking?? More like sucking wind. I had work to do, and I'm still doing it. I've made some big changes over the last few month and I'm seeing the results, it's encouraging!

In late May I got to take a trip to see my very dear friends and visit a new part of our country, Montana! Stunningly beautiful, those Bitterroot Mountains. I can now attest that it's true what they say, the sky really is bigger in Montana!

At the end of June, another new adventure, my first backpacking trip! A ladies only backpacking trip in the high sierras, we hiked carrying all our equipment on our backs from Luther Pass (near Lake Tahoe) along the Tahoe Rim Trail to Carson Pass, which is on the Pacific Crest Trail. To say I became "obsessed" with this trip might be a little bit of an understatement. I learned a lot in preparation for that trip. It was maybe one of the physically hardest things I've done, and one of the most rewarding by far. Ironically, all my photos look like we're walking through flat meadows... I surmise that this is because when you're hauling your booty and 40+ pounds of gear and water up a steep trail, breathing is more important than photo documentation.

Most recently, the next big change, this time for my dearly beloved husband; a new job! Changing jobs after you've been with one company for over 12 years is daunting and intimidating and he did it with aplomb. His former employer is closing their mighty doors in a few months, the end of an era of sorts in our small town, 450 jobs will be lost. To stay until the end, then have to compete for jobs against your former coworkers and friends just sounds like a complete bummer so my guy started looking early and found a good fit and a new career. I'm very proud of him. Craft and embroidery projects? There have been a few, although as you might imagine, not as many as in years past, my hands have been a bit full this year, but I have picked up needle & thread a time or two. As always I have more projects than time, so my list of to-do's grows ever longer, especially with all of the projects at the cabin and my reignited wanderlust for the trails and forests.

There have been lots of other little adventures along the way, too many to tackle tonight. I hope that this post will be a fresh start for my wee blog, I never intended to be away so long. The more time that passed, the easier it was to ignore the nagging little voice that says "you need to". But I have always loved this space and sooner or later, I think I'll always return.

I hope you've been well, my friends! I'm so glad many of us have stayed in touch via Instagram. That is where I'm most active, it's just so easy and fast. I have a link up there on the right side bar, if you're interested, or just CLICK HERE. My best until next time.oxo,Lisa

5 comments:

Nice to see your post and catch up with what you have been doing. Your life has been chock full. So glad you have recovered. Your cabin is so cool. I bet it's hard to stay away!! I sure hope you continue to blog.

*waves hi* Your hiking and backpacking trips seem so wonderful! I haven't done anything like that in a while myself. It's great to reconnect with nature from time to time. I've loved seeing your little cabin.

Gracious -- you've had quite the year, haven't you? I'm sorry your surgery wasn't as neat and tidy as you'd hoped, but happy to hear you have recovered fully!! Your little cabin in the woods sounds just delightful! I can just imagine you this winter with a fire in the fireplace, feet propped, stitching a little something for you walls! Be blessed, friend, and don't wait another year before posting again!! :)

Who's blog is this anyway?

I'm a tea fueled, Vespa riding, embroidery junkie! Welcome to my little speck of the world! This is where I share what I'm up to and blather about the stitchy~quilty~crafty things I like to make. Kick back and enjoy your time here. Oh, and please feel free to jump in and comment, I love hearing from you!